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John Deere acquires GUSS Automation

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John Deere has fully acquired GUSS Automation, a maker of autonomous sprayers for vineyards and orchards, headquartered in Kingsburg, California.

The acquisition builds on an existing joint venture established in 2022 and advances John Deere’s commitment to helping high-value crop growers address their biggest challenges around labor availability, input costs and crop protection.

Julien Le Vely, director, production systems, high value and small acre crops, at John Deere, says: “Fully integrating GUSS into the John Deere portfolio is a continuation of our dedication to serving high-value crop customers with advanced, scalable technologies to help them do more with less. [Read more…] about John Deere acquires GUSS Automation

Canadarm2 grapples Cygnus XL in key robotic arm manoeuvre at the ISS

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The International Space Station’s robotic powerhouse, Canadarm2, took centre stage this morning as it captured and installed Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo ship, delivering over 11,000 pounds of critical science and supplies.

At 7.24 am EDT, on September 18, astronaut Jonny Kim (with Zena Cardman as backup) used Canadarm2 to grapple the Cygnus XL, then manoeuvred it into position for installation at the ISS’s Unity module.

The supply ship launched from Cape Canaveral on September 14, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. It will stay docked until March 2026, when it will depart carrying waste to burn up during re-entry. [Read more…] about Canadarm2 grapples Cygnus XL in key robotic arm manoeuvre at the ISS

Inspection and maintenance robots: Reaching the unreachable and dangerous

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Drones, crawlers, quadrupeds, and submersibles for inspecting bridges, pipelines, wind turbines, and more

Modern society relies on infrastructure that is both aging and mission-critical. Bridges, pipelines, refineries, power plants, and offshore wind turbines require constant inspection to ensure safety and reliability.

Yet traditional inspection is risky, expensive, and often disruptive. Workers climb tall stacks, enter confined tanks, or dive into murky waters. Outages are scheduled, scaffolding erected, and safety crews deployed – all before a single defect is recorded.

Enter inspection and maintenance robots. Equipped with advanced sensors, artificial intelligence, and mobility systems, these machines are beginning to handle the dirty and dangerous jobs, collecting high-quality data at a fraction of the risk and cost. [Read more…] about Inspection and maintenance robots: Reaching the unreachable and dangerous

SoftBank develops ‘robot-friendly’ server rack to enable automation at data centers

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SoftBank, a Japanese telecommunications giant which is a significant player in the robotics sector, has developed a new server rack intended to make data center hardware easier for robots to install, maintain, and replace. 

The company says the initiative will help position its infrastructure as being tailored to the demands of AI and autonomous systems.

Announced in September 2025, the rack introduces a cableless structure that allows robots to carry out tasks such as installing and removing servers, swapping faulty units, and conducting inspections. [Read more…] about SoftBank develops ‘robot-friendly’ server rack to enable automation at data centers

Figure raises over $1 billion in Series C funding at $39 billion valuation

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Humanoid robotics company Figure has secured more than $1 billion in committed capital through its latest Series C financing round, reaching a post-money valuation of $39 billion.

The company said the funding will accelerate its efforts “to bring general-purpose humanoid robots into real-world environments at scale.”

The round was led by Parkway Venture Capital and included significant participation from Brookfield Asset Management, Nvidia, Macquarie Capital, Intel Capital, Align Ventures, Tamarack Global, LG Technology Ventures, Salesforce, T-Mobile Ventures, and Qualcomm Ventures. [Read more…] about Figure raises over $1 billion in Series C funding at $39 billion valuation

Tennant Company and Brain Corp to debut next-generation autonomous cleaning at CMS 2025

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Tennant Company, a specialist in robotic cleaning solutions, and Brain Corp, a provider of AI-powered robotics operating systems, will join forces again at CMS 2025 in Berlin to showcase the future of cleaning technology and unveil the X6 ROVR to the European market for the first time.

The X6 ROVR, powered by BrainOS autonomy, is Tennant and Brain Corp’s most advanced autonomous cleaning machine to date.

Engineered for intelligent navigation, high-performance cleaning, and resilient operation in even the most challenging environments, the X6 ROVR sets new standards in efficiency, reliability, and safety. [Read more…] about Tennant Company and Brain Corp to debut next-generation autonomous cleaning at CMS 2025

ABB and LandingAI unleash the power of generative AI for robotic vision

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ABB Robotics has invested in California-based LandingAI to accelerate the transformation of vision AI, making it faster, more intuitive, and accessible to a broader range of users.

This first of its kind collaboration will integrate LandingAI’s vision AI capabilities, like LandingLens, into ABB Robotics’ own software suite, marking another milestone in ABB’s journey towards truly autonomous and versatile robots.

Sami Atiya, president of ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation, says: “This announcement is the latest in our decade-long journey to innovate and commercialize AI, benefitting our customers by enhancing robot versatility and autonomy to expand the use of robots beyond traditional manufacturing. [Read more…] about ABB and LandingAI unleash the power of generative AI for robotic vision

MicroFactory raises $1.5 million to scale ‘general-purpose robot’ for manufacturing

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MicroFactory, a robotics startup specializing in how manual labor gets automated, has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding from a set of visionary backers.

The backers include Clement Delangue, the founder of Hugging Face, and Naval Ravikant, early investor in Uber and Twitter. This gives the company a post-money cap of $30 million.

The company is leveraging the funds for its flagship product: an AI-powered general-purpose robotic system enclosed in a compact, box-shaped frame with two robotic arms and interchangeable tools. [Read more…] about MicroFactory raises $1.5 million to scale ‘general-purpose robot’ for manufacturing

Regal Rexnord partners with ABB for ‘seamless integration of cobot seventh axes’

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Regal Rexnord has joined forces with automation giant ABB Robotics to simplify integration of its GoFa cobots into 7th Axis Cobot Transfer Units (CTUs) from Thomson, one of Regal Rexnord’s linear motion brands.

This collaboration makes the Thomson Movotrak CTU the first cobot 7th axis technology that ABB Robotics has certified for use in its partner ecosystem.

Kevin Zaba, EVP and president, automation and motion control segment of Regal Rexnord, says: “Until now, anyone wanting to use a single, plug-and-play ABB cobot on multiple workstations faced what could be days of programming and communications challenges. [Read more…] about Regal Rexnord partners with ABB for ‘seamless integration of cobot seventh axes’

Bridging the gap: Integrating AMRs in brownfield manufacturing environments

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By Saurabh Chandra, founder and CEO at Ati Motors

Modernizing legacy spaces with infrastructure-free, autonomous material movement

In the race to automate, many manufacturers find themselves caught between the promise of cutting-edge robotics and the physical realities of their decades old facilities.

Brownfield manufacturing spaces, or factories built long before automation was commonplace, pose a unique challenge to modernization.

These facilities often have aging infrastructure, constrained space, variable lighting conditions, and deeply embedded workflows. Yet the demand for more agile, efficient, and scalable material movement solutions has never been higher. [Read more…] about Bridging the gap: Integrating AMRs in brownfield manufacturing environments